How does Watt portray mystery and human life?

In Samuel Beckett’s novel Watt, the protagonist’s experiences serve as an allegory for human life unfolding within an inescapable mystery. While the setting retains a recognizably Irish milieu, the narrative takes place in a highly abstract, unreal world where conventional plot and meaning are absent.12

Watt is preoccupied with seeking the meanings—the "What?"—of the people and objects he encounters, most notably his mysterious employer, Mr. Knott. Despite working for Knott, Watt never meets him face-to-face, illustrating the fundamental difficulty of communication and the elusive nature of truth. By stripping away the "external trappings" of existence—such as social status or material possessions—Beckett focuses on the essential human condition: being thrown into a world without knowing one's purpose or the nature of one's own self. Ultimately, the novel portrays life as a search for clarity in a reality that remains fundamentally opaque and resistant to rational understanding.21